grant



July 9, 1957 M. L. GRANT FARE BOX CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheet sSheet 1 Filed Dec. 10, 1951 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY m gm 50 FIG! ' July 9, 1957 Filed Dec. 10, 1951 M. L. GRANT FARE BOX CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Shem; 2

I INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY July 9, 1957 M. L. GRANT FARE-Box CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec 10, 195] INVENTOR. W

ATTORNEY simultaneously dropped coins where such constitutes the fare. The hopper is preferably of transparent material, such as plastic, whereby the inserted coins are fully visible and the exit slot 24 cannot be blocked up without disclosing an accumulation of coins in the hopper.

The coins leaving the hopper exit slot 24 enter an evaluating chamber 25, which is formed by a rear inclined plate 26 mounted between the side walls in generally parallel but slightly converging relation to the front plate 19. A downwardly directed track 27 is mounted on the plate 26 to receive the coins from the hopper exit slot 24, the received coins from the slot 24 sliding along the inclined plate surface and separating as theyroll down the track 27, the track 27 being set so as to cause the coins to impact at an angle which slows the coins up. More specifically, when a plurality of side-by-side coins exit simultaneously through slot 24 and impact the track 27, the friction between the plate 26 and the coin engaging thereagainst will retard that coin, relatively speaking, whereupon the outermost coin or coins will peel off in sequence thereby effecting almost immediate separation of the coins and resulting in the spaced sequential relationship shown most clearly in Fig. 3. A downwardly inclined second track 28 is mounted on the plate 26, see Fig. 2, in spaced underlying relation to receive coins from the track 27, this second track being preferably of resonant metal and separated (not shown) from the plate 26 for the greater part of its upward length, whereby the coins sound off as they impact the track 28. It will be understood that the separation between track 28 and plate 26 above referred to is simply to provide suflicient resilience to the track 28 whereby it, in effect, acts as a musical reed to give off a sound when impacted by a coin. Thus element 28 functions both a a track guide means for the coins and also as an audible signal device. The angle of impact of the coins with the track 28 is set to momentarily halt and retard the coins so that they slow up in their descent, whereby the individual coins and groups of coins constituting separate fares are readily evaluated, the evaluation taking place during their downward movement.

Although the sound arrangement is disclosed as positioned at the beginning of the lower track 28, it may be at any convenient location. Since the sound effect depends on free coin travel and impact of the coins themselves, the sound effect audibly discloses that the coin passageway is clear and unobstructed. Any other-attention, directing signal, such as for example, a light flash may be used in place of the audible signal described.

The coins leaving the evaluating chamber 25 enter an inspection chamber 29 having a rear plate 30, see Fig. 2, which is hinged at 31 to a fixed support plate 32. The plate 30 has a lower portion 33 normally constituting an extension of the plate 26, with a guide track 34 mounted on the lower portion 33 to guide received coins over a base 35 and against an end abutment 36. The received coins build up on the base 35 as illustrated in Fig. 3 until the inspection chamber 29 is substantially filled; additional coins impact and pass over the displayed coins to rest on a slightly lower movable track 37, which is pivoted at 38 and is counterbalanced by a weighted leg 39. As soon as a sufficient number of coins have accumulated on the track 37 to overcome counterbalance 39, track 37 will move downwardly about its pivot 38 whereby to release said accumulated coins to a removable coin collection box 40 positioned in the lower portion of the housing. It will be understood that in practice the inspection chamber 29 will usually be cleared in a manner hereinafter to be described before coins begin to accumulate on the track 37. In the event the inspection chamber is not so cleared, however, it will be obvious that the track 37 will act in the guise of a safety valve to prevent clogging of the inspection chamber and subsequent backing up of the coins to a point where they could be surreptitiously removed from the top of the fare box.

The base 35 of the illustrated inspection chamber is fixed to the plate 33 and the track 37 i sutficiently lower to permit inspection of the coins on the base 35 and on the track 37. If desired, the base 35 may be pivotally mounted in the manner of the track 37, to automatically release the coins from the inspection chamber whenever the accumulated coins build up sufficiently.

The evaluation chamber 25 and the inspection chamber 29 are illuminated by light bulbs 41 placed at suitable locations, the bulbs being electrically illuminated and having a hand switch 42 positioned on the housing for turning on and olf. The surface of the plate 19 which is not required for evaluation and inspection is blacked off as indicated at 43, note Fig. 1, to prevent eye distraction and to confine the eye to the coins and their travel through the fare box, the eye being thus compelled to follow the coins in their travel. v

The plate 30 is movable to dump the coins from the inspection chamber into the 'coin' collection box 40, the movement being accomplished by hand or by remote controL' To this end, a U-shaped strap 44 has its sides 45 keyed to a transverse shaft 46, see Fig. 2, which is rotatably mounted in the housing, the front bar 47 of the strap having an upstanding angle element 48 with a horizontal tab 49 to whicha manually operable knob 50 is secured.

The shaft 46 has the lower end 51 of a lever52 pivot ally mounted thereon, the lever having pivoted thereto intermediate its ends one end of a link 53 which is pivoted at its other end to a lever 54 pivoted intermediate its ends on a stub shaft 55. The lower end 51 of the lever 52 has a roller 56 mounted thereon, and the lower end 57 of the lever 54 has a roller 58 mounted thereon, whereby a cam 59 fixed on the shaft 46 is movable forwardly engaging edge 60 with the roller 56 or rearwardly to press against and engage a cam edge 61 with the roller 58 when the knob 50' is moved downwardly or upwardly respectively. Thus it will be seen that no matter whether the knob 50 be moved downwardly or upwardly, the end result will be to pivot the lever 52 in a counterclockwise direction.

The lever 52 has a tension spring 62 for urging it to rearward position, and the upper end 63 of the lever 52 has a roller 64 engaging an arm 65 extending outwardly from a support block 66 which is secured to the rear surface of the movable plate 30 adjacent the upper hinged end thereof. When the knob 50 is moved downwardly, shaft 46 and its cam 59 rotate counterclockwise whereby the cam edge 60 presses against the roller 56 and turns the lever 52 counterclockwise also, whereby the lever roller 64 rotates the arm 65 and swings-the plate 30 open about pivot 31 to release accumulated coins to the collection box, as clearly shown in the broken line position of Fig. 2. The plate 30 has a coil spring 67 mounted on its'hinge to swing the plate 30 back into inspection position as soon as the opening parts are restored to their former position by the tension spring 62. When the knob 50 is moved upwardly, shaft 46 rotates clockwise and the cam 59 engages the roller 58 to produce a counterclockwise movement of the link 53 and similar counterclockwise movement of the lever 52, whereby the plate 30 is also opened; in this position, the cam edge 61 seats beneath the roller 58 and is shaped to be so held against the action of the spring 62, for a purpose here inafter explained. T

A foot control lever 68, see Fig.1, which is movably spring pressed upwardly on its base 69, is foot movable to pull a flexible wire 70, housed in a protective cable 71, and thus pull down the outer end of a lever 72, see Fig. 2, pivotally mounted on a pin 73 secured to the housing, the inner end of, the lever 72 having a roller 74 which presses upwardly against the arm 65 to turn the plate 30 for releasing the coins to the coin collection box. This provides a remote release control operable alternatively to the manual control at the option of the operator.

It will be noted, see Fig. 1, that the angle element 48 is positioned so as to normally cover a key base 75, which serves to release the front plate when a key is inserted and turned.

The U-shaped strap 44 has one side 45 provided with a depending plate 76, see Fig. 7, which normally extends over and covers a key base 77 forming part of the outer wall 78 of the removable coin collection box, whereby it is not possible to unlock the collection box unless the strap is first moved up into coin releasing position. When the strap has been moved upwardly, it remains in up position due to the aforedescribed positioning of cam edge 61 beneath the roller 58 so that the coin collection box is readily removed or inserted. The construction thus prevents removal of the coin collection box until all the coins in the fare box have been released to the coin collection box, which automatically self locks upon removal from the fare box.

I have provided a standard 79 for supporting the fare box, the standard having a transverse opening 80 through which a headed pin 81 extends to pass through an opening 82 in the side wall of the fare box and be locked therein, as by a cotter pin and end opening. This prevents removal of the fare box from the standard unless the collection box is first removed, as the collection box normally prevents access to the cotter pin, thus providing an additional safety feature.

The illustrated embodiment is designed for collecting fares on a bus, street car or the like, but the construction is adaptable to other uses, as for example for rereciving coins in restaurants and the like, "and for selfserving sales devices. The phrase fare box as used in the specification and claims is thus intended as a generic term to designate coin receivers in which coins are deposited for evaluation and appraisal.

Although I have disclosed a specific constructional embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that changes in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts may be made to meet different coin collection requirements, without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a fare box of the character described, a coin passageway, a coin inspection chamber having a movable coin support, a coin collection box removably positioned in said fare box, manually operable means for moving the support to release coins from the inspection chamber to the coin collection box, and a key lock for said collection box, said manually operable means being movable upwards to move the support, and having a fixed depending portion normally positioned to seat over the key lock.

2. In a fare box of the character described, a coin passageway, a coin inspection chamber having a movable coin support, a coin collection box removably positioned in said fare box, manually operable means for moving the support to release coins from the inspection chamber to the coin collection box, and a key lock for said collection box, said manually operable means being movable upwards to move the support, and having a fixed depending portion normally positioned to seat over the key lock, and means releasably retaining the manually operable means in up position.

3. In a fare box of the character described, a coin passageway, a coin inspection chamber having a movable coin support, a coin collection box removably positioned in said fare box, manually operable means for moving the support to release coins from the inspection chamber to the coin collection box, and a key lock for said collection box, said manually operable means being selectively movable upwards or downwards to move the support, and having a fixed depending portion normally positioned to seat over the key lock.

4. A fare box of the kind which has a hopper in which a fare may be deposited and from which the deposited fare drops directly into an evaluation chamber through which the coins, constituting the fare, move downwardly by gravity action into an inspection chamber where they come to rest, means which provides a forwardly and downwardly inclined surface constituting the rear wall of the evaluation chamber against which coins lean as they pass through the evaluation chamber, a transparent panel constituting a front wall for both the evaluation and inspection chambers, the front-to-rear distance be tween said panel and the rear wall being so small that a coin is constrained to move edgewise in traversing the evaluation chamber, downwardly inclined tracks in the evaluation chamber along which the coins roll on edge with their broad surfaces visible through the transparent front panel, the inspection chamber having a rear wall which is normally substantially parallel to the inner surface of the transparent front panel and normally in substantially the same plane as the rear Wall of the evaluation chamber, a barrier in the inspection chamber capable of retaining a plurality of coins in full view and while stationary within the inspection chamber, said barrier comprising a transversely extending rail fixed to the rear wall of the inspection chamber with its front face so spaced rearwardly from the transparent panel as to permit coins to pass between it and said panel, and a retainer for such coins as pass between the barrier and the transparent panel, said retainer being so constructed and arranged as automatically to release coins held thereby when a predetermined weight of coins has accumulated on the retainer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 226,158 Cary Apr. 6, 1880 486,111 Krepps Nov. 15, 1892 826,933 Hall July 24, 1906 1,344,841 Woodward June 29, 1920 1,570,419 Wolkenhauer Jan. 19, 1926 2,010,877 Morell Aug. 13, 1935 2,199,086 Weatherford Apr. 30, 1940 2,642,073 Ingraham June 16, 1953 

